Tigrayan rebels hand over heavy weapons

Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia say they have handed over heavy weapons as a key part of the agreement signed with the government in Addis Abeba late last year to end a two-year conflict.

By Linda Bordoni

The spokesman for Tigray forces in Ethiopia said says the group has handed over heavy weapons in compliance with a peace deal signed two months ago between the government and the rebels.

Getachew Reda tweeted that an African Union monitoring team confirmed the handover.

He expressed hope it would “go a long way in expediting the full implementation of the agreement.''

Peace agreement

The terms of a peace agreement signed on November 2 include disarming rebel forces, restoring federal authority in Tigray and reopening access and communications to the region, which has been cut off since mid-2021.

The Tigray forces seek the withdrawal of troops from neighbouring Eritrea, which has fought alongside Ethiopian forces but was not a party to the agreement.

According to witnesses on the ground, Eritrean fighters remain in some communities.

The war

Fighting broke out in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed deployed the army to arrest Tigrayan leaders who had been challenging his authority for months and whom he accused of attacking federal military bases.

According to reports drawn up by United Nations observers, hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have died in the conflict in Africa's second most populous country. Basic services, flights and humanitarian aid have begun to resume to the long cut-off Tigray region of more than 5 million people. (source AP)

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